Warriors REBORN: Era Of Darkness

Chapter Three

Hours seem to pass by but pacing seems to be taking Autumn nowhere. Each passing block seems as dull and formless as the rest. Each step begins to send a tightening pain to her shoulder as she limps across many busy thunderpaths.

The bitter air fills her nose, as the tangy scents of unrecognizable chemicals and substances linger in the air.

The cold sharp stones from the yard dig into her soft paws as she limps towards the open stretch of woods. She wiggles her soft torso through the gap in the newly varnished fence, trotting into the large stretch of grass. A scent much nicer than the others, wafts in front of her nose.

"Two-leg food!" She exclaims to herself as she follows the trail. She hasn't eaten in awhile and her stomach begins to yearn at the mouthwatering scent. Galloping down several winding thunderpaths and around many different two-leg nests, Autumn ends up a isolated back alley, across from the local diner. 

The alley is cold and barren, lots of foreign pieces of shiny wrinkly paper are blown around in the wind. Trashed with bright colours that glimmer along the walls, forming alien symbols. It no  longer smells of food, only the silence that surrounds her.

Autumn scans the area for any sign of food or significance of why she's there but none seem to appear. She stops and freezes as a cold chill works it's way up her spine.

A large mass of muscle growls from the lowering shadows, it gets louder as Autumn approaches.

"Hello? I'm lost and km looking for my two-leg."

Nothing. Her helpless mews echo off the dense brick walls as she trails deeper into the alley.

The swift sound of a chain breaking and a large beast tears from the end of the alley towards her. Petrified, Autumn bolts back, hissing and swatting at the thing with her tiny claws.

The beats snaps it's menacing jaws at her throat, hungry for the taste of blood. It barks and howls with anger when she nimbly slides underneath it, too inexperienced to fight.

The beast turns around, snarling with its sharp teeth, drooling like the downpour. It approaches her tiny quivering body with triumph. When Autumn thinks she's for dead, a nimble blur of motion floods the alleyway. Mysterious shadowing claws dig into the whimpering beast, driving it away.

"What are you doing here little kitty?" A grim voice meows, echoing off the walls making it untraceable.

Terrified, Autumn turns her head swiftly side to side in search for the police's host.

"Go home, this isn't a place for you to stay." A dark stocky figure appears from behind, followed by two other lean cats, one with a short curly black and white coat, the other small and brown like the soil.

"Why are you here if there's nothing for you either?" Autumn spits, arching her slim back in defense.

"We're looking for someone, a friend of our leader," The patchy cat to the left tilts his head to her in question. His crazy looking amber eyes meet hers for a quick second.

"Do you know them perhaps? Her name is Sunspark." Autumn freezes in terror, Sunspark... the name the golden eyes called her in her dream!

"No, I don't know of this Sunspark, I'm sorry I couldn't help." She stammers nervously to them, her tail swaying between her hindquarters. The stocky cat narrows his eyes and turns around unconvinced.

"I'm very lost and I need some assistance finding where to go exactly," Autumn explains to the trio.

"This place isn't that welcoming and I really need to go home before it gets dark! My two-leg will worry!" She pleas to the stocky tom.

"You mean you have nowhere to nest?" He asks, slightly interested.

"Yes, well I have my two-leg but I need some directions, could you give me some?" Autumn replies politely.

"Not on my code, we newbies don't know the area that well just yet, that's why we're out scouting for new recruits." The tom stammers.

"What do you mean? Newbies for what?"
Autumn questions slightly annoyed.

"I can explain-"
He assures but is cut off by Autumn's wild howling.

"No you are not! I'm going back to my two-leg if I have to run away from you or not so just leave me alone!"
She spits hastily.

"Alright then, you're coming with us." He growls,

"What? Me? I don't know anythi-" Autumn stumbles on her words as the stocky cat gazes down at her.

"Silence, you will do as you're told." They turn to exit the alley. "We will take you with us to meet our leader, then you will join us in FeralClan."